Folding chair.



J. D. LAWRENCE.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATiON FILED MAY 29, 1915.

1,180,052 Patented Apr. 18,1916.

WIT/W58 s 9 7%WW'rQA KLI'H J ATTORNEYS a new and Improved I i a rrrif s i tolirarihs roams-e crisis.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

iatented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed Key 29, 1915. Serial No. 31,151.

fl '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, done: Davin Law- RENCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Princeton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented Folding Chair, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to furniture and has particular reference to folding chairs or stools.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a novel design for the manufacture of a chair mainly from t ilar metal whereby the chair will be not only cheaper but stronger than the usual forms of foiding chairs.

Another object-of the invention is to provide improved ".Y the facilities for renew b fabric seat portionof a folding chair and at the same time prolonging the life of said seat.

A still further object of the invention is to provide features of improvement in folding chairs which render them more convenient and reliable in use with respect to the facilities for prompt opening or unfolding thereof.

The foregoing and many other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred type of folding chair made in accordance with this invention; 9 is a side elevation of a detail of the jointbetween the back and the main frame looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of both of the joint members; Fig. l is a horizontal soctional detail substantially o 0 line i; 1 of Fig. 1, indicating .eat held ing bar; Fig. 5 is a :ut at the other end of the semi. 3 is a ver ical sectional detail shown diner of connecting the back rods to the tubu-...r frame of the back; Fig. 7 a perspective view of one of the bearing blocks between the main portions of the frame; Fi i? a transverse section through the. p-

: when folded, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 8-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a detail view of that end of the seat holding bar shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 10 is a modification indicating how the tubular U-shaped members of the chair may be assembled in sections.

The several parts of this device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied. to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I show a preferred type of chair com-- prising legs 10 and ll pivoted together in pairs approximately midway of their ends upon a rod 12 around which the legs are adapted to fold into approximately the same plane. The legs of each pair are connected preferably by an integral cross bar, the legs 10 and their cross bar 13 being adapted to swing within or between the legs 11 and their cross bar 14;. At the joint between each leg 10 and the adjacent leg 11 I provide a pair of spacers or washers115 shown best in Fig. 7 each comprising a flat face 15 and a concave face 15*, the concave face receiving the cylindrical leg and the two plane faces of the adjacent spacers 15 cooperatr ing with each other. The pivot rod 12 passes through a central hole 15 in each block. These spacers insure sufficient space being provided between adjacent legs to provide free movement into open position without binding or unnecessary friction, and the special form of spacing blocks is well adapted for the purpose, making a construction neat in appearance as well as of satisfactory practical operation.

Secured to either of the legs 11 at any convenient point between the pivot rod 12 and the cross bar 14 is a lug 16 clamped to the leg 11 by means of a set screw 16 or its equivalent. The lug projects inwardly and serves to limit the movement of the legs 10 while folding, preventing them from swinging beyond the plane of the legs 11 as indicated in Fig. 8.

The seat 17 comprises preferably a strip of fabric or similar flexible material of peculiar adaptability as to attachment to or de-- or folded loop 17 is wide enough to provide a doub e tachment from the metal portions of the structure. The seat is formed at its front edge with a loop 17 and at its rear edge with a similar, though narrower, loop 1?. An anchoring or securing bar 18 shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 9 extends through the loop 17 and has a hook-sha ed or an gularlyturned end 18- projecting rearwardly and chrwnwardly through a hole 19 formed in the front face of the leg which may be described as the left leg 10 with respect to the person seated upon the chair, and the opposite. -end 18 of the bar 18 is turned substantially at a right angle and extends rearwardly through a hole drilled entirely through the upper end of the right hand leg 10 where it is secured detaehahly by means of a nut 18 screwed thereon. The anchoring bar 18 lies, therefore, justbelow the front portion of the cross bar 13 and the thickness of the seat fabric where it exten s oven and'rests upon the cross bar 13. as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This double thickness not only provides a cushioning e2 fectover this bar 13 adding comfort to the person seating upon the chair, hut reinforce and strengthens i thereby prolonging t life of the seat.

The rear edge or scat dctachalfy connected 7. means of a strr in) rod 20 e nd through and, ha i 3 ends i i in holes 21 formed through the lower ends of a i of frogs E22 constituting a port of the hart; structure. The rod 20 has at one end a head 20 which lies against the outer face of the adjacent frog .22 and has its other end projecting beyond the outer face of the opposite frog where it is detachahly secured by any suitable means such. for instance, as a cotter pin 20". In addition to the frogs the back comprises a. U-shaped tubular mean her 23 oil the same general form and nature as the legs, but preferably of lighter material, into the open ends of which the frogs are projected and secured by any suitaole means. The means shown herein for locling the frogs in the ends of the main tubular back member 2 comprises a pair of heavy wires 1H each having its upper end 24" turned at an angle or hooleshaped and extended through a hole 3*" n the top portion of the member 23 and ing its lower end 24* can tending laterally d outwar ill thrrmgh the lower end of the member and the extension of the frog located therein shown in Fig. 3. The frogs have transrr; holes 22 through which the bar 14- ef the legs 11 extends, forming a main pivot for the back. The rod 20 is connected to the frogs below the pivot l land hence the strain. upon the seat when. the chair W5 pied serves to positively hold the back in its uprigl'it; position and with the laterally proloop p01,

anemone :Zecting legs 25 thereof engaging against he rear faces of the upper eons of the legs 11. 'lhc lugs just mentioned limit the upward and rearward swinging of tho back out all low tl hack to swing forwardly and downwarrlly freely when the chair is unoccupied or when the chair to be folded. During the folding of the chair the upper porti n oi the lo) 10, together with the loop portion 17*- of the seat, swings; rearwai between the legs 11 and below the v1 her 14, the bar 13 swinging closely below the bar 14 when the back is swung forwardlf and downwardly into approximately the same plane as the leg portions the rod 20 at such time being carried rem'wmidly and upwardly by the frogs swinging around their pivot 14:, this foldii'ig movcn'ient of the legs 10 being limited as a ove stated by the lugs 16. To unfold the chair, the back is ""aspcd and swung into or toward its JP-- J ")05:fltl0ll,tllt3 actionol thefirr .hearing upon the upper portion of the legs 10 c'ausing; their: to move forwardly toward tl'ieii:

r5 verv pro tier normal position. The action easy, sure and ?-.l1l1}")l0, and the cl day making the clinics new. As shown in Fig 11". instead of forming tlce U-shapcd frame members eacpi in a sin- ;jf piece the z'sgrrtical and transverse pow tions thereof may hr COHIIC Li l 21 parts with their cat owl shown at reini'm'c d uler core illustrat t set of figures.

l claim:

1. in a fo ing chain the combination of ront and rear rating the respective "7 mt seat pot-hot bearing the front cross mg through the upper ends of the 

